New Reverse Board Mystery Socket Functions

[Toms Model Trains]

Hello Group....I'd be grateful if someone could ell me the functions of the sockets labeled A, B and C on the attached photo. I looked through the related information in other posts but didn't see an answer...Thanks....Tom

[Joe Satnik]

Hi, Tom.

Until 3rail comes through with the definitive answer, perhaps a little circuit trace work with an Ohm-meter would help.

Do you have the new 00249 Reverse Board in your posession?

Do you have and know how to use an Ohm-meter?

Thanks.

Joe Satnik

[Toms Model Trains]

Hello Joe....Laura Harris at Bachman's Customer Service indicated that the sockets in question "are not for any use at this time". I have the board and a multi-meter which I've used in the past to check for open circuits. The reason for my question was to help one of my customers who wondered if the new board could support a back up light. That 2 pin socket at "A" looked like a possibility. But if they're not being used, the other 2 pin sockets may be options as well. Perhaps I'll wire up the board to a couple of motors and check the output of the sockets with a bulb....Tom

[Joe Satnik]

Greetings again, Tom.

A diode in series with an incandescent bulb wired in parallel with the rear DC motor (yellow, blue) would work just fine.

Another option, an LED in series with a resistor wired in parallel with the rear DC motor.

Note the bulbs are presently wired directly to AC track power (red-center rail pickup, black-wheels and chassis ground).

The rear bulb holder would have to be disconnected and isolated from chassis ground.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[Toms Model Trains]

Hello Joe....thanks...those are easy alternatives that avoid the board entirely. I'm still curious about those sockets though. Bachman must be planning something or they wouldn't be there....but then again who knows. I'm surprised the service rep didn't have a clue......Tom

[Joe Satnik]

Tom,

Use your Ohm-meter to check if the outside pins (1 and 4) of B 

are connected to (1 and 4) or (4 and 1) of any other 4 pin socket.

Repeat for C.

Joe

[Toms Model Trains]

Hello Joe....I set the multi-meter to 20 ohms and got results for connected pins as marked with the color coded Xs in the photo....Tom

[phillyreading]

I would go with what Joe S. originally stated.
The four pin socket might be for a second set of motors and the the two pin socket could be for a smoke unit.
Not sure if I would use any of those sockets for a back-up light circuit.

Lee F.

[Len]

If the sockets at the end board edge are like the previous boards, one of to 2-pin sockets is a DC output that was intended as a 'slave' motor output, so it changes polarity when directions change. So it's very simple to reconnect the headlights through some diodes to this connector and create directional lighting.

Len

[Joe Satnik]

Tom,

Connector B (or C)

Red x-----1K Res-----LED------Green x

If it lights in the wrong direction, swap the connections to red and green.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik
             

[Toms Model Trains]

Joe, Len and Lee....sincerest thanks for the thoughts and suggestions. I just got back from Radio Shack and will experiment with the board. I'll post the results here....Tom

[wmwalker]

Tom
If you open up a new RS3 it has that board and every socket is being used. Something is plugged into each one from the wiring harness.

[Joe Satnik]

Wyatt,

Please trace the wiring and give us a report.

Thanks.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[wmwalker]

Ok I took a picture and will post but here is where each plug goes. The plug next to A goes to the lock out switch. Plug A goes to 5W 100ohm resistor. Plug B goes to front LED's and markers. Plug C goes to the rear LED's and markers. Top right goes to sound board. Next is motor leads and then next is motor leads. The bottom plug is not used. It is open. Hope that helps.

here is the picture

[Len]

Does the bottom 2-pin "open" plug have DC voltage on it? If so, that's the "slave motor" plug on the old boards. Since the lighting is apparently already set up as directional, it could be used to add a fan driven smoke unit. Just run the output through a full-wave rectifier, so the polarity to the motor stays constand regardless of direction, and connect to the fan motor.

Len